An anonymous plaintiff, also known as a 'John DOE' or 'Jane DOE, ' is a legal term used to refer to a party in a lawsuit whose identity is not publicly known. The term is often used when the identity of the plaintiff needs to be kept confidential for various reasons, such as protecting their privacy or preventing potential retaliation. The term 'DOE' is derived from the last name of the first anonymous plaintiff in a court case, which was 'DOE v. Roe.'